EHL Certification Commission

The Certification Commission is the highest authority within the Scheme.

Its competencies include, but are not limited to, granting, or removing of status to Institutions Candidate or Member of the Scheme.

Certification Office

The Certification Commission is supported by the Certification Office. It acts as the corporate office to the Commission and enacts its decisions. Its activities include:

Administration of the Scheme, notably the relations with the Candidate Institutions when applying to the Scheme, the formal check of documents submitted by Candidate and Member Institutions, and the register of Member Institutions.
The organization of the assessment visit, including the training and preparation of peer-review team members.
The organization of the Commission Meetings, and the notification of the decisions taken by the Commission.

The Certification Office is composed of EHL staff members experts in higher education policy, quality assurance, certification, and accreditation.

Members of the Certification Commission

Jérôme BÜHLMANN

Chairman of the Certification Commission & Head of Vocational Education & Schools, hotelleriesuisse Swiss Hotel Association)

Jérôme Bühlmann believes that interaction with people and professional knowledge are key to success in the hospitality industry. This motivated him to join HotellerieSuisse in 2017, where he is now responsible for Vocational Education products and Vocational Schools.

“The importance of a solid education system is critical to the development of young talents, locally and internationally, and to the success, reputation and innovation capacity of the hospitality industry worldwide”.

Jérôme gained his vision and passion for the hotel industry while working in various People Management roles with FRHI Hotels & Resorts (Fairmont, Raffles & Swissôtel, now part of Accor Hotels). He spent ten years with the company, handling campus recruitment, people development, and overseeing hotel openings in multiple countries.

After six years in Zurich, Jérôme became the Director of Talent Management for FRHI in Toronto.

He holds a Bachelor's in International Hospitality Management from EHL (2005) and a Master's in International HR Management from Cranfield University (2014).

Dr. Nathalie L'HUILLIER

Vice-Chair of the EHL Certification Commission

Nathalie is an experienced higher education professional who has held leadership positions in several prestigious universities, from research administration, teaching & learning, student lifecycle to program development. Currently, her role is centered on quality assurance management in the EHL Group.

On the academic side, her expertise contributes to supporting the development of new programs, ensuring continuous improvement of educational effectiveness and managing long-term projects to ensure alignment with quality standards.

Nathalie holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Originally from France, she has lived in several parts of the world, including the UK, and the Caribbean before settling in Switzerland 3 years ago. Nathalie is passionate about travelling, culinary arts and outdoors pursuits.

Anne-France-BORGEAUD-PIERAZZI

Head of Public Affairs at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)

Anne-France's key role is to maintain and strengthen institutional relations with external stakeholders: public authorities, academic partners, international accreditation bodies, think tanks and Swiss media. She also leads IMD’s accreditations and labels agenda (AACSB, EFMD EQUIS, AMBA, Swiss Accreditation/AAQ, BSIS label and the EcoVadis label).

Previously, she was Senior Economist and Head of Operations at the IMD World Competitiveness Center (2012-2015), a research center specialized in competitiveness and macroeconomic topics.

She was educated at the Faculty of Law and the Graduate Institute in Geneva, then at IMD and more recently at the Swiss Board School. She holds a Master of International Relations & Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (1996).

Pierre Olivier BOTTERON

Pierre Olivier Botteron is a strategic advisor and transformation expert, helping organizations align their people strategies with business growth. As the founder of People On Board, he supports international companies, healthcare institutions, and organizations seeking to build strong, engaging cultures that drive performance.

With a background as Vice President Human Resources at Swissôtel and FRHI, he played a pivotal role in shaping leadership programs, fostering high-performance cultures, and implementing large-scale transformation projects. He has led initiatives in organizational culture, employee engagement, and digital transformation, creating environments where people and businesses thrive.

His earlier career includes five years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), operating in complex environments that strengthened his leadership and cross-cultural management skills. He later held senior leadership positions in the hospitality and healthcare sectors, always focusing on innovation, leadership development, and impactful change.

A graduate of EHL (École Hôtelière de Lausanne), Pierre also holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Change (Coaching and Consulting for Change) a joint program from HEC Paris and Oxford Saïd Business School. He has further specialized in leadership and strategic communication (Stanford, The Economist).

A mentor, speaker, and passionate advocate for people-centric transformation, he regularly shares insights with leaders, organizations, and alumni networks, inspiring them to shape the future of work.

Beyond his professional life, Pierre stays energized by running marathons, pursuing photography, and sharing his love of cooking with friends.

Meetings of the Certification Commission

The Commission meets four times a year to decide on the status of candidates who completed the whole application process.

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